


Ayfer

by stormchasersteve



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet, Drabble, Emotional support animal, Fenris (Dragon Age) has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Flashbacks, Hawke Killed Anders, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Post-Kirkwall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-19 23:27:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17611073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormchasersteve/pseuds/stormchasersteve
Summary: After Kirkwall, Fenris is working as a mercenary.  A colleague asks about his mabari... but Fenris is reluctant to talk.





	Ayfer

"What's it called?" his new colleague asked him as she looked down at the puppy curled around his bare feet.

"Ayfer," Fenris replied, glaring into the campfire.  He hadn't returned to the mercenary life hoping for conversation.

"Ayfer... is that Dalish, or something?" she asked.

"Do these look Dalish to you?" he answered acerbically, gesturing to his brands.

The other mercenary shrugged, continuing to sharpen her sword.  "Where'd you come across a mabari pup anyhow?"

"In the smoking ruins of Kirkwall," Fenris growled at the woman, "from the hands of dead Fereldan refugees, after my one friend killed my lover."

"Maker, don't get your leggings in a twist.  I was just asking -"

"Then _don't_ ," he snapped, scooping up the dozing pup and storming off into his tent.

 

He sat on his bedroll, the pup gnawing at his fingers as red light and masonry exploded through his mind.  With a hiss, he rubbed his fingers into his eyes and willed the memories to fade - _but they were replaced by a red-streaked face holding a bloodied knife as the perpetrator slumped to the floor_ -

It wasn't until Ayfer whimpered and nudged his hand that Fenris blinked, and realised he'd been having one of his Episodes again.  Damn clever dog - she always seemed to notice those moments when his mind left the present and he was trapped in torturous memories.

There had only ever been one other who had been able to that.

With trembling hands he reached into his pack and pulled out a piece of parchment that was tattered from folding and refolding.

' _A FOR ANDERS_ ' it said in neat print.  Fenris traced a fingertip over the letters as he had done a thousand times, ignoring the other twenty-five letters that the mage had spelled out for him, once.

"A for Anders..." he croaked, voice hoarse and throat burning.

Ayfer wuffed at her name, and nuzzled close to Fenris.


End file.
